A Seminarian's Musings on Beauty as a Way to God

The O Antiphons

Have you been rejoicing? Last Sunday was Gaudete Sunday, which literally is a command to rejoice! We rejoice because our Lord’s coming is so near. The Church in her great wisdom…hint, hint; leaves us with symbols to help us stay aware of what is happening at the moment in the Liturgical Cycle.

One of those such symbols is the “O Antiphons” which the Church leaves her Ministers, religious, and anyone else who prays the Divine Office with. She has also reworded and rearranged them so that they may be used for the Alleluia Verse during the Mass before the reading of the Gospel. These Antiphons are thousands of years old, though they are most familiar to us, because of the traditional Advent Hymn: O Come, O Come Emmanuel. In the traditional arrangement of the Antiphons in Latin, when viewed from Christmas Eve backward, the first letters of the Latin texts (Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia) spell out the phrase ero cras or (“I come tomorrow”). This Season is a wonderful time for us as a people of God to Rejoice in the coming of the Lord, and make straight the way for his path.

The Antiphons are each a name for the Messiah, found in the book of Isaiah, the prophet. And they are recited/prayed from December 17-23. (One week before Christmas.)

Get up, go to confession! Prepare your soul to receive him on Christmas! Are you ready? Rejoice for his coming is near! Stand up, prepare yourself and your household for; ERO CRAS -“I come tomorrow!”

Antiphon for the Magnificat during
Evening Prayer, Liturgy of the Hours

Veni, O Sapientia, quae hic disponis omnia,
Veni, viam prudentiae ut doceas et gloriae.(2) O Come, Thou Wisdom, from on high,
and order all things far and nigh;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.

Dec. 18:Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in Sina legem dedisti:
veni ad redimendum nos in bracchio extento.O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!

Dec. 20:
O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel,
qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperuit:
veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris,
sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel,
controlling at your will the gate of heaven:
Come, break down the prison walls of death
for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death;
and lead your captive people into freedom.

Veni, Clavis Davidica, regna reclude caelica,
fac iter tutum superum, et claude vias inferum.(5) O Come, Thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heav’nly home,
make safe the way that leads on high,
that we no more have cause to sigh.

Dec. 22:
O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem,
quem de limo formasti.O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart;
O Keystone of the mighty arch of man:
Come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.

Dec. 22 & 23:Rex gentium et lapis angularis Ecclesiae:
veni et salva hominem quem de limo formasti.O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!

Veni, Veni, Rex Gentium, Veni, Redemptor omnium,
ut salvas tuos famulos peccati sibi conscios.(7) O Come, Desire of the nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid every strife and quarrel cease
and fill the world with heaven’s peace.